Broken Chains of Blood
by Lessis
Summary: Short prequel to Aftermath. Tells the story of Ruro Ume's fall to her inner demons and redemption.
1. Early Life

**Author's note: It should go absolutely unsaid if you've read Aftermath that this entire story is filled with extremely disturbing content. And it is not required to read to understand Aftermath or the story therein. This is a side story that is utterly optional to read. If you are easily offended then please, do not continue and if the story interests you, continue on to Tsukihime: Aftermath. Trust me, this was not easy to write, but I felt backstory was needed for the character. **

She was born in 1336, born to a Count in the southern reaches of France. Her mother, a Countess, although not recognized as such by the government of France, ruled a considerable amount of land in the southland of France. They lived in a modest castle, in an aging feudal village.

While they were far from powerful, they wielded influence. And had a modest army and a fairly benevolent rule.

The girl in question was beautiful, her brown hair and blue eyes. She was a rambunctious child, but her mother loved her. As did her father, even though he treated her harshly at times, but he did it for her own growth.

Her mother was beautiful, her eyes, stained red by what many called sin, but it only added to her beauty. Her long brown hair was beautiful and her daughter looked exactly like her.

Her father, a tall man of great physical stature, piercing and strange orange eyes, his face was chiseled and perfect while his hair was black and short. He was considered quite handsome by many.

By the time the girl was five, she was already tall for her age. But she was still just as wild, her hair was adorned with flowers at times from when she ran and played with the local children, unheard of in a feudal society. The Count had no qualms about such a thing occurring.

But around this time, her mother had become withdrawn and rarely seen. The Count said she was sick and the little girl was scared and worried.

But the worst was yet to come...

**Age 8: Innocence Taken.**

The girl, who was commonly wearing a white dress of the era, was running around, exerting herself. She was so full of spirit and energy, her smile, her laughter. It seemed never ending. The castle had few servants, but the servants loved her. She would always ask silly questions and try to help. But the servants declined with a smile.

'That girl is destined to be a remarkable lady.' That is what many of them thought.

However, the oldest of the servants, a man of 60 named Edwige, he was the most favored of the servants with the count. He had served him for nearly 40 years, he was turning quite old and gray. And he was pampered as a servant, wearing fine clothing and attending meetings with the Count that others were barred from, including the Countess.

'That girl will face sorrow.' Is what she told the other servants, but they soon spread rumors he was senile. Such a girl cannot be destined for such terrible things.

Several months after the girl's 8th birthday, the Countess was stricken with illness and died.

The girl wept, but she never saw the body. The Count said she would not recognize her, and her father grieved terribly, not eating for days except small scraps of meat. And eventually, he stopped eating them.

He became a recluse, never coming out even while his daughter pleaded at his door.

Her nannies became her mothers, and her father was completely absent for months.

Until one, terrible day...

The Count emerged from his room, his face was worn, the skin around his eyes wrinkled, he had aged considerably in his time of grief.

The girl, was quietly sobbing in front of his door when he opened it. She had missed her father so terribly.

When she looked up at him, her bright eyes widened and she hugged him. Her father remained still.

"Ume..." He said, more like a growl.

"Daddy?" She muttered quietly... brushing the tears away.

"Today... You must succeed your mother. Your mother was a beautiful woman without peer in my heart, except for you. But now, all I have is you..." As he said this he brushed the girl's long hair out of her eyes.

She sniffed but remained silent.

"All I have in you.. and your body and your potential.. And I must love you..."

"Daddy..?" Ume asked again.

"Forgive me, Ume..." He said as he grabbed the girl by the back of the neck. Having lifted her to eye level. She let out a yell and began to cry.

"Daddy! You're hurting me!"

"The pain has yet to begin, my dear girl..."

And with that, he pulled her into his room.

After he had fled into his room with her, he had sunk his fangs into her. And began draining her blood.

Ume cried, screamed and fought but her strength and life was sapped from her. Her eyes became blank and her face became simply that of a doll. Her blood was drained and she was made his Second... His Soeki.

But he had to finalize the pact, in his own sick and twisted mind...

And with that, the girl named Ume, forever lost her shine. Her luster, her laughter and smiles, they were gone after that. Her body was violated, her mind was invaded and her entire being was corrupted that day.

From then on, Ume would live in her mother's old room. Which turned out to be a torture chamber.. Filled with chains, candles and instruments of torture...

For days afterward, the screams of the girl echoed in the castle. She was abused and tortured... Her father whipped her, beat her, raped her, he continued until she stopped crying.

When she stopped crying, she felt dead... Her body dangled, suspended in the air by the various chains that filled her now 'room'. Her clothing had become tattered, she was barely covered. Her body was bleeding from where she had been whipped, beaten by her father's hands.

He simply stood there, almost admiring his work.

"You will make a good servant, my child. And you will make a good lover in time."

The girl could not respond, blood was pouring from her mouth. If this was any other person, they would have been dead.

But she was special... She was special in that normal things cannot kill her and that is what the Count sought. From that day forward, she was forced to serve him, to serve his secret ways. As a False Ancestor, her initiation was one brought on by torture. And she had no choice but to accept her fate.

Because even though she wanted so desperately to die, she couldn't...

Even at such a young age, she couldn't bear her life anymore...

On the day of her ninth birthday, she spent it as she had for the last several months, locked alone, in that dungeon. Hanging in the air. Being trained to be an obedient 'Soeki' as he called them.

The term was not familiar to her. She had no idea where the term had come from...

But at that point, she cared about nothing... Her life had turned to misery, and she was even forgetting to breathe at times, she simply wanted all things to end.

The day of her birthday, as her father was preparing to whip her again.

"Daddy..."

"Yes?"

"I have a weird feeling..."

"And what is that?"

"I don't want to be alive anymore..."

Her father laughed at the little girl's emotions.

"You don't live for yourself anymore, girl, you live for me. And that will be the truth until you die."

".. Ok"

She had finally broken. She had given up on living for herself at that instant, and with that her true servitude had begun.


	2. Submission

**Three Years Later**

In 1347, The False Ancestor uprising began. First propogated by several Kiru in Italy, their Undead armies numbered in the hundreds of thousands within a short time. The only truly safe city in Italy was the Vatican, which had sent out the still fledgling Burial Agency to begin trying to quell the Kiru.

They met with mixed results, gaining either small victories or taking devestating losses. Near the end of the year, The Count was considering his own uprising. To oppose the other, foolish Kiru who had shown themselves.

The Count called his Soeki to his chambers.

His Soeki entered, she was 11 now, her stature had continued to grow. She was wearing a skin-tight black suit which completely covered her body, equipped with attached boots and fingerless gloves. Her hair was short now, not even reaching her shoulders, her eyes were blank and her expression matched them. She stepped forward and kneeled before the Count.

"Yes, My Lord?" She said quietly.

"Ume, I want you to begin infecting people within the town and area surounding the castle. We will need an army. These fools are trying to cause all this chaos and reveal our existence to the world."

His daughter rose and closed her eyes.

"As you command."

The girl left the room, making her way around the maze of corridors until she came to a pair of glass doors.

Opening them and walking onto the balcony, she overlooked the small city that lied within the walls. There would be no escape for any of the uninfected. And the Count's army would be complete for mobilization within a few days. She leapt onto the railing, staring voldly as the dimly lit houses in the distance, lit by small candles. And without any emotion or concern, leapt off the castle. Hitting the ground running, she made her way toward her mission.

The night would be filled with blood.

Her first victim was a woman, no older than 25, she was carrying a latern. Presumably checking something, but Ume had no intention of finding out.

In a single movement, Ume shot from the shadows, grabbing the woman and biting her.

Ume, felt a rush like no other as she began to suck her blood. Her whole body felt hot, she was already sweating through the sheer excitement.

Her hands subconciously made their way to the girls breasts, she had to touch them, she was too excited.

She violated the woman's body with no concern as she sucked her blood.

When she finished she dropped the woman. But Ume was in a daze.

This was her first time she had sucked blood and infected someone.

She stared at her hands, covered in blood, in amazement.

"What did I do?" She quietly asked herself.

Why did she touch that woman?

Why wasn't she just happy with sucking her blood?

Why?

She kept asking herself until she heard a man yelling.

Ume hadn't realized she was just standing in the moonlight, her hands and mouth covered in blood.

A man had noticed.

"Murderer!" He shouted, as he rushed Ume carrying a pickfork.

Ume just turned, undazed to the man who thrust his pitchfork at her. Ume just stepped out of the way and grabbed the man's neck.

She kissed the man, making sure to get plenty of her saliva into his mouth. He resisted of course, but that just made her more excited.

Did she want to touch this man as well? No... He tried to kill her, he didn't deserve the pleasure.

Ume's other hand balled into a fist and she gave the man a devestating hit in his chest. Breaking ribs on contact.

Blood flew into Ume's mouth as it rushed up from the man's throat. Her eyes widened in surprise, but her knees trembled.

She was so excited... So full of pleasure...

She dropped the dying man and fell to her knees. Her mouth still dripping with blood. Her whole body trembled in ecstacy...

"Why.. Ah.." She asked herself, unable to talk as she just moaned, the pleasure in her body was overwhelming.

She panted, gasped and trembled. She was unable to stand, she just closed her eyes and beared the painful pleasure.

She didn't know why it felt so good, and she didn't care.

She neede dot keep infecting... She needed to.

For the entire night, she infected dozens, turning them into Undead.

Her last victim, a boy not much older than her, she dropped the lifeless body from her grasp.

Her face, hands and upper body was caked with blood. She had such an incredible feeling of pleasure she felt she may go mad.

"Ha... Hahahaha!" She just laughed, laughing as the feeling continued to tear through her. Her last feeling sof reservation about what she had becomed vanished, she just needed this rush, this feleing of power and ecstacy. She never wanted it to end...

She simply ran, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, laughing a crazed laugh as she made her way back to the balcony she had originally lept from.She dashed through the corridors until she literally smashed the door of The Count's room down.

He rose slowly, even after Ume's face had twisted into a malevolent grin, her fangs showing over her pursed lips. Her eyes were wide and full of lust.

"Ah, my Soeki, I see you gourged yourself on victims..." The Count said with a smile making it's way to his lips.

Ume walked until she was standing in front of the Count.

"Of course..." She said, in a very mature voice.

The Count grinned as Ume pushed him onto his bed and straddled him.

"Have sex with me, My Lord. Defile me... I need it, I need to feel everything..." She begged, kissing the Count.

"Of course..." He said in a very sly tone.

For the first time, Ume had accepted her blood, accepted what came with it: The lust, the impurities, the pleasure of taking others lives. Making them her own, needing to feel pleasure, needing to fill the emptiness that existed before.

The little girl, the young daughter of the Count, Ume, was gone. Replaced with the Soeki Ume, and her trailof death in the coming years would be enourmous.


	3. Devastation

**Four Years Later**

"She came upon us, at first with minions then by herself. She was a terror in the shape of a young girl. She is that which humans cannot image, nor want to. She is the epitome of twisted intent and of those who do not follow God's designs." - Unknown priest, 1348

"It is the unholiest sight I have ever seen. A young girl, defiling a dying man, her lust betrays her frame as a young girl. I'd heard stories, rumors, of a young girl Plague-bearer, one who started the upheaval in France going as far as Paris. I never dreamed it'd be true." - Sebastian, Burial Agency, 1349

"We've never seen the False Ancestor the girl serves. He is not like the others, he remains in the shadows while his Plague-bearer wrecks havoc onto the land, but with a Plague-bearer like her, one does not need to show their face. She is like a wild demon, something you'd expect of one who is the favoured hand of Satan, uncaring, full of lust, mania and recklessness. But her power... I've seen men cut down before her that have been servants of God's Army for many years, yet she slew them with such ease. May God help those who face her." - Gregory, Burial Agency, 1350

"There can be no God where this girl walks." - Unknown, allegedly said by unidentified man after a Burial Agency search of the ruins of a village several kilometers outside Stuttgart, Germany, 1350

By 1350, the False Ancestors had controlled millions of Undead Europeans. Waging war with each other in terrible, unearthly battles. The Count had changed his mind in 1349, and sided with those who wished to conquer the Human world.

The Burial Agency had taken a gamble, knowing the future of Europe was at stake they sent an envoy to the only person who could save them.

The True Ancestor Princess, Arcueid Brunestud.

Brunestud was at first reluctant, dismissing the envoys as being weak. But after numerous days of negotiating, Princess Brunestud agreed to help rid the False Ancestors.

"It is the least I can do, after all, it is the goal of the True to assail and kill the False. But, Envoy, do not take this as a gesture of allegiance to the Church." Were her last words to the envoy before she departed.

Brunestud's assault was quick and ruthless. In mid 1351, the majority of the Kiru had been eliminated, Brunestud's efficiency was astounding, In a matter of months, the False Ancestors numbers dwindled.

20

11

3

1...

Near the end of 1351, every European country had been secured from the Kiru. Save one...

The Southland of France.

The home of the now worried Count and the maniacal, 15 year old Ume.

Ume had practically gone mad to her own lust, she crazed it, she needed it, her body had matured and she stood as tall as an average man now. The Count had begun to distrust her in her mania, he chained her in her room, raped her when he pleased and left. But Ume could not be satisfied.

"Please, My Lord..."

She would beg to be raped, she enjoyed it now. The Count knew her worth was drawing to an end, so he decided to sacrifice her to Brunestud, at least to draw time for his escape.

He knew that his Soeki was worthless to him if she was always full of lust and blood rage.

"Ume," He said as he released the girl from her chains. "You must take the remaining Undead and kill Brunestud. Our lives depend on it."

When Ume hit the ground, she dashed off, simply cackling to herself.

The Count shook his head and made his escape out of the castle.

Ume was, by then, leading the final group of the Undead she had control over. She led them over a snow covered hill, and at the very bottom of the hill, stood the White Princess. Her white dress blended against the snow, her blond hair shone in contrast to it against the inky night. Behind her were a few members of the Burial Agency.

Ume gave her a twisted smile. "Is this all? This will be short indeed, I can't wait to taste you all!"

Ume's shivers at the prospect, Brunestud closed her eyes and lowered her head.

"Those Undead you lead. They have suffered enough."

And with that, the Undead fell over, turning into dust.

Ume turned around wildly, wide eyed. "My servants! You wench! What did you do?!"

Brunestud began her slow ascent to the top of the hill. Ume was enraged, she couldn't control herself anymore.

"I'll kill you!" She screamed as she charged Brunestud.

Ume threw one punch... and it was all over.

Ume's punch was still in midair when Brunestud has had ducked down and buried her claws into the young Soeki's chest.

Blood poured out of Ume. Her eyes became distant and unresponsive, her breathing came in small gasps.

"I almost pity you," Brunestud began. "but I can't, because you chose this. You gave in when you could have fought or died. Instead you craved it, this result is to be expected. Now sleep, young girl... Find your peace."

With that, Brunestud extracted her claws and walked by Ume. Ume was still standing, her gasping began louder as her vision faded.

"Next is the castle." Brunestud announces. "We're ending this Plague."

Finally, Ume's vision faded away and she fell forward into the snow.

The pure, white snow that cradled the most impure of girls.

Ume's vision was rocked back to life, as she was lifted into the air by no less than The Count.

"It is a good thing I came back, or you'd be dead. You stupid girl."

"Uuu... My... Lord?" She barely managed to say, her eyes barely open.

He threw Ume over his shoulder and began walking.

"You will recover, girl, and you will continue to serve me. We will have our revenge against Brunestud, and you will stand over her body as she leaves this world. Our World."

"... Of.. course."

The Count's plan was obscurity. With Europe impossible to inhabit now, and many of the False Ancestor remnants having already fled to Africa and the Middle East. All that was left was Asia.

And that is where the count would live, where he would formulate his plan to take over Asia. After Brunestud was killed, of course. And he would try to tame the uncontrollable blood of Ume in Asia, and teach her discipline. Teach her to be the greatest Soeki the world had ever seen...


	4. Birth

**600+ years later**

Over 600 years had passed. 600 years of torture, migration and agony, Moving from China, Mongolia and finally to Japan. Ruro and Imaeki, who had changed his name to a Japanese one after having decided this will be his staging ground after The Princess has died.

Ume had completely matured now, her body was that of a tall, beautiful woman. She had kept this form for over 600 years now, not aging a day. Running, hibernating, keeping their lives a secret from the outside world. Now, these former nobles had been reduced to a multi-story hotel room.

Ume rubbed her stomach, things had changed... She was pregnant, pregnant with Imaeki's child. She was both happy and sad, knowing that the child would most likely succeed her. It's Kiru blood, as they called it in Japan, was more pure than her own. So Imaeki would obviously favor the child.

But she was going to have a child... She was happy for her motherhood.

She had a slight bulge, she was only a few months into the pregnancy. She stared out the hotel window, watching the lights of the city. Watching the cars drive below...

She smiled, a pure, untainted smile..

After Ume was beaten mercilessly, over the years she had been forced into slavery. She was trained, she had to be, or she would go mad.

However, she still had bouts of madness, her blood was simply too strong for her to control forever.

She figured this child's birth would be her death... If not immediate death.

But she smiled anyway... She continued to pet her stomach even as Imaeki entered the room. He had aged considerably, his body scarred having the encounters with the Burial Agency. Without the Undead, he continued to grow weaker, gray had began to tint his hair. He stood a couple of feet behind Ume.

"Still thinking, Ume?"

".. Yes."

"Thinking about your child. Thinking what lays in store."

"..."

"Of course, I know. But don't worry, you'll always be special in my heart. You are my daughter after all."

Ume clenched her fists, it sickened her now... It sickened her to be reminded of that fact.

Imaeki put his hands on her shoulders. He had approached her without her paying heed. She jumped at his touch.

"Why so paranoid? We've been doing this for centuries? And you've grown to like it..."

"..."

Ume simply submitted as his hands reached around and began to fondle her breasts.

"They're growing as well. Excellent." He gave a small laugh.

Ume just closed her eyes. Enduring her humiliation.

His hands made their way down to her growing belly.

In an instant, Ume's eyes shot open. She grabbed his wrists and pulled his hands away from her.

"... Don't." Is all she could say.

"What did you say?" Imaeki's voice grew angry. Ume's body went cold at his tone.

"Girl... That child is just as much mine as yours. You've been getting defiant lately, maybe you need to be re-disciplined."

"Like hell..."

Before she could finish her protest, her head was sent crashing into the glass. The force cracked the glass and left a spiderweb of cracks from the impact.

"What did you say?" Imaeki said in an increasingly hostile tone.

"Please..."

More force was being pushed against her head, the sound of cracking glass became louder.

"Please, what?"

"Please.. Discipline me, my Lord..."

The pressure from Ume's head was released, she stumbled back, off-balance from having fought his force. But she stumbled right into Imaeki. He promptly began to remove her outfit.

"You will continue to learn pain, and you will relearn obedience until you cease to question me. Your mother did the same! You will learn to obey me!" He shouted, his voice full of anger now.

"..."

Another night of sex went by, Ume was completely unresponsive during the episode, simply letting Imaeki do as he pleased once more. She couldn't remember how many times he had done this to her.

Make her feel worthless, make her feel like a doll, a toy. Something to be thrown away when the time is right or to sacrifice should it come to it.

Ume cried... She cried the first time that night, silently, and for the first time in centuries...

**5 Months Later**

Ume was chained to the ceiling of the hotel room, Imaeki smiled gleefully as the nude Ume. Her stomach swelled considerably.

Ume's face was battered and bleeding, her chest and arms heavily cut, she doesn't remember how it happened, and she was barely conscious, unable to make out all but distinct patterns. She noticed Imaeki in front of her, but she had a gag in her mouth, so speaking was meaningless.

Imaeki smiled and rubbed her swollen womb.

"Today... I gain an heir. An heir worthy of the Kiru."

He kissed her belly and whispered. "Do not worry, you will not be worthless like your mother... You will achieve greater power than even I..."

Ume could only hear his unintelligible, muffled whispering, her ears were still ringing from when Imaeki beat her nearly to death in her sleep.

Imaeki stood straight up. "You should thank me, Ume, without you only being half conscious, this would hurt a lot more."

Ume's eyes widened and she began yelling, crying, she knew what he was about to do. She tried to flail but was met with a punch to her face.

Then silence... Only the sound of creaking chains filled the room as Ume rocked slowly back and forth.

"I'll kill you if you try that again."

Ume just closed her eyes, tears streaming down them, as she tried to prepare for what she knew was to come.

"And now... I bring another child into this..." His hand cuts into Ume's womb like butter, blood began to pour out as his second hand entered, the hole in her widened. "world!"

Ume's eyes widened incredibly, she was shaking in agony, her toes curled as blood dripped off them like a leaky faucet. The entire from of her body was painted red with blood, blood shot up onto her chest and face as Imaeki dug around with Ume. Her muffled screams went unheard...

Ume wanted to die... She couldn't bear it, she felt the creeping madness in her mind...

Eventually, the crying of a baby filled the room along with it's mother's screams. Covered in blood, Imaeki's hands now contained a child. Imaeki's bloodied arms... His eyes looked almost soft as he started at the child. He then cut the umbilical cord with his razor-like nails.

And Imaeki simply left the bedroom with the child. Leaving Ume dangling, bleeding, her innards exposed, the umbilical cord hanging like a rope from inside of her.

But she stayed aware, she never once lost herself. And she no longer wanted to die, not there...

Ume, who had staved off her madness until then, let it take over.

She broke the shackles that binded her hands, falling to the floor.

Ignoring her condition, she stood up, smiling. She made her way to the bathroom, she stared into the mirror, still smiling.

"This is what I am... Soeki Ume..."

'Ume...'

She hated that name...

She hated it now...

The name her father gave her...

Ume pulled the cabinet open, finding the emergency medical kit the hotel stored. Ume had already had to use it once before.

Ume pulled the suture kit from the kit and began sewing herself back up.

When she was done, the bathroom looked like a murder scene from a horror movie. Blood, bloody hand prints, the umbilical cord that Ume had to rip out was in the sink, she stared at the placenta in her hand, staring at it.

"And in the end, you were simply a vessel of perversion..." She muttered, dropping the placenta into the sink on top of the umbilical cord. It make a sick splat and send droplets of blood up into the air.

----

The next morning, Ume awoke in the morning where she had fallen asleep: The bathtub, the only place that wasn't completely bloodied. She exited the bathroom, expecting to see Imaeki on the other side, ready to kill her.

But there was noone... He wouldn't just abandon her as is, but the thought crept into her mind.

She dressed back into her black suit and waited, staring out the window she had done so many times before...

When Imaeki entered, she felt only contempt.

"The child will room with some servants I enlisted. Until she is of age to begin training."

"She?" Ume simply asked.

"Yes..."

Ume wanted to smile... She had given birth to a daughter, a daughter that was alive and away from Imaeki. But she couldn't because she knew he would be back for her in time..

"Until then, we must continue our watch for the Princess. I've heard some interesting rumors about the Serpent..."

"Roa?" Ume replied unenthusiastically

"He may be returning..."


	5. Redemption

**A few weeks after the death of Roa.**

Ume walked from the ship, her stride was quick as she unboarded the ship she was on, down the old fashioned gang plank. She had managed to book passage to and from Japan on old merchant vessels, to avoid detection by the Church and other entities that may have caused trouble for her if she was discovered.

She arrived back to Jiurongcheng, a city in China along the Yellow Sea, they had stayed here for the last few years. Ever since their scuffle with a Burial Agency agent in the middle of the night. Imaeki felt Japan was no longer safe, and moved to China. The attack had left Imaeki with a terrible burn scar going across the left side of his face.

Ume was wearing a Mandarin dress, a simple black dress with floral decorations on it. She managed several looks from the people near her as she sped quickly toward the hotel Imaeki was staying.

She had news, news that they had been waiting for for centuries.

Ume's face was tightened with determination as she broke the door to the room down. Imaeki was already standing with a smile.

"The Princess is dead."

"The Princess is dead."

They say it at the same time.

"This is great news indeed!" Imaeki bellows, his words fading into laughter.

He laughed... Finally, the last True Ancestor was gone.

His ambition would no longer be checked simply by her presence. Imaeki's laughter grew in intensity, his eyes growing wide, he looked like he had gone mad...

"Finally! We can rule this land! No! The entire planet. End this ignorant persecution by the Church! We can claim what is ours, humanity will serve us and only us!"

Imaeki smirked. "As it was always intended."

Ume simply stood, her face frozen in it's blank state now.

"What are your orders?"

Imaeki approached, handing Ume a piece of paper.

"You will meet me there in two days. From there, we will begin our war. We must harness the power within the boy that killed Roa, I suspect he has acquired something that would be useful to me."

"That is?"

"I'll tell you then, now go."

Imaeki waved his hand, as Ume turned and exited the room. Before she walked out, Imaeki managed to give a few parting words.

"Do not fail me now, Ume, or else you may not live for long."

**Two days later**

Ume walked through the park, still wearing her school uniform. She had just finished enrolling into the same school the boy she had been meant to follow attended, she had yet to make any sort of contact with him.

It was a pitch-black night, all one could make out if they strained hard enough were faint shadows.

As she entered the park, she noticed Imaeki wearing a fedora and an overcoat, a beige overcoat. This was nothing new, whenever he went outside recently, he had always wore this.

'Always living in the past...' Ume thought to herself as she approached Imaeki.

Imaeki raised her head as Ume stood before him.

"Ah, Ume. What news do you bring?"

"The boy's name is Tohno Shiki, and I do get a peculiar sense from him... As if there are two souls within him, one dominate, one very faint."

"Good, good. You serve me well Ume. All that remains is to create an army so we can capture him and this city."

Ume froze, utterly, she knew what that meant... To reveal themselves, to create another Undead army, one she had not created in over 600 years. The idea shook her to her very core, first, she lost her daughter... Now she was going to lose her soul again.

"No..." Ume says, confidently.

Imaeki's good mood ended immediately.

"... What did you say girl?" He says, his voice growing more threatening with each word.

"I won't do that again, I refuse to lose myself like that. Not again. Not ever." Ume said as she shook her head.

Imaeki's face twisted in rage, his hand quickly found Ume's neck, gripping it tightly, as he lifted her into the air.

"You ungrateful little slut, after all I have done for you. Kept you alive, hid you, clothed you, fed you."

"The price is no longer worth it." Ume said, her voice shaking a bit.

Imaeki's grip tightened. "I will be the judge of that! I own you, you idiotic girl! I always have!"

"Not... Anymore." Ume manages to let out, her face showing her agony.

"What about your daughter?" Imaeki said, gaining a twisted smile. "Do you think she'll be as good a fuck as you? Or better? She'll be so innocent when I first make her mine."

Ume raised her fingers to Imaeki's hand gripping her throat.

"I will never... let that happen."

Ume, with surprising strength pulled Imaeki's hand off her. Ume fell to the ground in a heap, coughing.

"I cannot have a Soeki who refuses to obey." Imaeki said with a twisted smile. "So, you are finally at your limit with my patience, daughter."

Ume stood up slowly, glaring at her father. "So then kill me."

Imaeki smiled wider and snapped his fingers. Ume suddenly collapsed forward, holding her head, her face growing more and more pained.

"Good bye, Ume, I'll see you in hell." Imaeki said, almost laughing, as he footsteps echo into the darkness.

Ume tried crawling after him. But she couldn't move much at all, as pain, heat and cold shot through her body, it felt like all of the blood vessels in her body were exploding.

She fell flat onto her face, but she clawed at the ground, trying to drag herself forward.

"I'll... I'll never let you harm hr, you son of a bitch..." She muttered to herself, shaking, before she completely collapsed.

Ume laid motionless for over an hour, when quiet footsteps approached her, stopping right ahead of her.

"So.. the former Soeki. It looks as though you survived."

With that, Ciel crouched down, lifting Ume onto her shoulder and dashing from the park.

Ume awoke in a chair, in Ciel's room. Ciel was wearing her nuns habit and watching her intently.

Ume immediately came to her senses.

"Burial Agency..." she muttered, she knew she was too weak to even try to move. She still felt the pain of her corrupted virus.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to kill you or send you to the Vatican. Quite the opposite actually."

Ume scoffed. "And what would that be?"

"First, what is your name?"

"... Ruro."

"Your full name, please."

"That is my name now, anything else has no meaning."

Ruro sternly stared at Ciel, and silence came upon the room. The air's tension increased considerably.

"Well," Ciel started. "The Burial Agency would like to enlist you to kill Imaeki and protect Shiki."

".. You're kidding right? After centuries of trying to hunt me down, you want me to help you?"

"Yes, we want Imaeki gone, he is a menace to all of humanity. And even to the False Ancestors at this point."

Ruro growled and stared at the floor beside her. "Fine.. But this is only temporary..."

"Of course."

Ciel smiled. "I actually thought it would have been a little harder to convince you to kill him."

Ruro keeps her gaze on the floor as she brushes her hand against her belly, the scar that lies on it, she can feel it from under the fabric.

"I already want revenge on him... For the crimes he has committed against me."

"Well, shall I begin with the plan? For the record, my name is Ciel."

"Ciel.. Yes, you may."

Ruro had walked around the corner of the corridor. She was in the school, she had managed to make her first contact with Tohno Shiki earlier.

She found him incredibly annoying, she regretted having agreed to Ciel's plan. She disliked the plan from the start, basically a spiritual replacement to Ciel herself in the school.

Making Shiki get unintentionally close, so she can keep a better eye on him. Ruro hated the plan, but she agreed anyway.

She hated it more now that Shiki was actually talking to her.

"Senpai!" Ruro hears behind her.

Ruro tensed up, knowing exactly who it was.

'Shiki...'

Ruro let out a heavy sigh and turned around.

Ruro tried to smile as she spoke but it came out as a weird stare.

"I'm not your Senpai, Tohno-senpai. You seem to not understand proper titles very well."

This was the beginning of everything, the true beginning of her struggle. To find her daughter, find revenge and to find herself.

But she go on this journey alone, because none could come to her place. How could they?

"Ciel..."

"Yes?"

"Is it possible to redeem ones self after such atrocities? You know what I am responsible for, how is it possible?"

"It is, you only have to forgive yourself."

"I cannot forgive myself, not yet, not until I see the one person I have wanted to see for over a decade..."

_'My daughter...'_


End file.
